“AISLINN! AISLINN! Do you read?!” I yell into my watch.”Yes I’m here. Where are you?”“I am currently flying on a jetpack next to Gloria. Where are you, and what is happening?”“I’m in a cell with everyone and Grimm is quizzing May to free us.”“WHAT?! Don’t let her do that! I’m coming as fast as I can!”

I listened to the conversation between Anneliese and Aislinn and gulped. "When we do get there, what's our plan of action?" "Take out Zaul Grimm first of all,'' she replied. "Sounds good! Look! There it is!" Anneliese and I landed outside of the detainment building, and I took out my new favorite weapon, flintlock pistols. "Ready when you are,'' I said to my friend.

A wild goose chase. That's exactly what this is. Two more chess pieces. One more pawn as well as a bishop...

I am still nowhere closer to finding or understanding the twisted rule book by which my quarry is playing. However, I can understand this, my opponent is setting me up. Waiting for me to make a wrong move, or I would not be surprised if I had already done so. In any case, a checkmate would be soon coming, but I am determined to deflect it.

Or, should I crack the code, and I will, checkmate my quarry.

The cold air brushes against my face, but my the cloth of my mask blocks the chill from absorbing into my skin. I appreciate the cold, but today it serves nothing other than an irritant in my mission to track down and find my quarry.

Earlier in the day I had decided to search Business District of No Man's Landing today, but I stopped myself in the middle of doing so. "I think I'll do something more unpredictable this time..." I said to myself before turning around and heading back to the Tools and Wares side of the district. The bishop I found consequently pushed me beyond frustration.

I do not bother to continue my search, but rather, I took a new course of action. If it is not possible to climb the field and play on the same level as your opponent, you tip the board itself. So, in effect, I'll make my quarry come to me. I doubt that my quarry will fall for it, but a more unpredictable move on my part will catch my quarry's attention. A move to make my opponent turn its head in surprise, arrogance, or doubt. It doesn't matter. That's all I need.

In present time, I am standing in the wasteland of the Snowmoors. It took me a day to get here. Most likely enough time for my quarry to get suspicious and begin observing. I have no objection to such; it is crucial to my next move anyways.

I open my coat slightly, the rush of freezing air immediately seeping into the opening. I ignore the sudden feeling and remove a small object from my coat before closing it again. I leave a small piece of paper on the object, carefully making sure that whoever obtained the piece would acquire the paper as well. I set it down in the snow. Just lying there, the object seems minute despite the fact that I was standing right over it. I begin to have doubts as to whether or not my quarry will find the bait, much less take it.

I look behind me. Nothing. That was all the assurance I needed. I retraced my steps and used my rented Snow-traveler to speed away. Carefully retracing my past path. Not that I needed to, the snow would easily cover my tracks. The left object with them, but my quarry would find it.

The world slowly fades, whirling and dissolving as we slip through time. I know enough not to act scared, but my hand finds Ariella's and squeezes it. She squeezes back.

In a matter of seconds, my feet are back on solid ground. I stare around the new, but familiar town. "No Mans Landing." Nikko nods. "At least we're still in-" A little kid whooshes past us, screaming at the top of his lungs. A slightly older girl chases after him, laughing hysterically.

"They're...outside? What about the curfew?" Emily says incredulously. "How far back did we go?" I shrug. "Well...I think the full curfew was enforced...five years ago? Or maybe four. Not more than five, though."

Emmalee points out an unfamiliar Auto. It's kind of like a Pacifier, but without a pistol/bayonet arm. It has something that looks rather like a marshmallow launcher. I cock my head. "Does that look like a marshmallow launcher to anyone else?" Em nods. "Why...nevermind."

I toss my head again. "Anyhoo. Back to the wild falumba chase at hand." Ari looks at me. "What?" "Star Wars."

"There is hope for you yet, little Darkgrate..." I mutter under my breath. I am holding an object. A chess piece, ironically. I'm not in the Snowmoors. No, I'm not naïve enough to follow my pursuers pitifully laid trail of crumbs. Instead, I'm in a dark alleyway. Holding a piece of paper in my hands. Thinking...

It says: Checkmate.

To be honest, I had begun to lose faith in my pursuers ability to track down his targets and quarries. I had even observed him in the process of chasing down members of the Mollisong group. Of course, he was caught then, but he was able to wiggle out of his bonds. He took the Aethasian Hospital down with him too.

I chuckle at the thought of Darkgrate waiting for me in some other Godforsaken alleyway. A checkmate, I think to myself, Not just yet.

As much as I would love to continue the chase, I don't keep moving. Darkgrate can find me for all I care, I think. I stay where I am. My mission has a difference purpose than just to oxymoronically pursue people in wild goose chases. No, my mission is not like that at all. My mission. Is to fix what one man and one woman's mistake. Mr. and Mrs. Mollisong. Yes, their mistake was that child. Aislinn.

Iris limps from the building, reaching an alley and leaning against a brick wall. She moans, clutching a burned arm. Her purple cape is now a pile of charred fabric inside the lab, and the rest of her violet attire fares only slightly better. Smoke wisps rise from her body, mixing with the green fog in the air.

She's been beaten. But not entirely. She had two missions. She succeeded in saving the life of...yes, she would let herself think it. Her sister.

But her other mission. That, she had not completed. "But I haven't failed." She whispers. "Not yet"

She notices another person at the other end of the alley. She knows this person. This person named Sonox.

This is just great. Just, great. I can't believe I caved to stupid Zaul, but I couldn't help it. My sister was hanging up there, being overly confident like she usually is. She thinks she is the best thing ever, everything's about her, she can escape anything because "She's Aislinn".

But she can't. She was helpless up there. And I had to save her. So I did. I don't think the others are mad at me, but they might be. I hope they're not.

But now we time traveled. And we're stuck unless we find a kid named Joshua. Just. Great.

"Wait. I still have my comlink, Aisy. I can call Iris, or Tyler, or...well, not Grace. But Iris or Tyler." I pulled it out. "No, wait. It won't work. We're in the past, remember? If this is how long ago I think it is, Grace and Faith weren't even born yet. They wouldn't have comlinks yet. We would've still been living in the city!"

We run in, Zaul staring mouth-open at the cell. I look over and see my friends stuck in frozen animation. “What did you do to them! And don't try anything,” I yell, holding my flamethrower out towards him. "How should I know! A button was pressed and then, ZAP! They all froze.""I don't trust you..." Gloria looks fiercely at him.I see my friends all in there, frozen in time. "Ace? Come on! Answer me!" Tears welled up in my eyes. "Ari! Talk to me, please! No... Nikko.... not you too! PLEASE! JUST SAY SOMETHING!""I've got it! It must be a side-effect from time travel." Gloria starts. "We can't see, but they are in the past somewhere.""Great... now we are just stuck in a room with Zaul, and no one else can hear us if he does pull a trick." I sigh."Oh, I wouldn't say no one," A voice called out. "I'm here, but not to help you."

I look in fury at the man who stood in front of us, Matt Bonnetfolly. A betrayer of the Resistance. "Didn't I get rid of you?" Zaul says irritably. "Yeah!" Anneliese added. "We don't need you here anymore!" "Fine," he replied. "But I warn you, you'll regret this.'' With those words he flung out a bomb! I barely had time to shove Anneliese under the table where she'd be safe before it exploded . . . and all went dark and silent.

"Umm, Julian? Is it possible that I can take a break? This training is great and all, but I feel like I could use a tiny break." Julian smiled. "Yeah! I have been pushing you hard." I looked up expectantly. "Go ahead and get a protein shake and then report back to me in 15 minutes."

"That's not the break I meant..." I mumbled. "What was that? You can get me one of those shakes, by the way." "Sure."

Everything melted into darkness. A strange sort of vertigo made me stumble, and the world seemed to turn upside-down. I grabbed Aislinn's hand and tried to steady both myself and her.

Then in another instant, I was able to see my surroundings clearly. It was as if we hadn't gone through time at all. The town of No Man's Landing was bustling with activity--how strange.

As the others talked, I surveyed the area. Several children were playing in the streets, and foreign automatons patrolled back and forth. Apparently there was no curfew at this time in Aethasia's history.

"They're...outside? What about the curfew? How far did we go back?" asked Emily.

"Well...I think the full curfew was enforced...five years ago? Or maybe four. Not more than five, though," Aislinn responded.

Emmalee drew our attention to an automaton, and Aislinn remarked that it looked like it had a marshmallow launcher in place of its weapons. I was inclined to agree with her.

"Anyhoo. Back to the wild falumba chase at hand," Aislinn stated.

I glanced at her curiously. "What?"

"Star Wars."

I smirked. Of course.

A bit later, Emmalee and Aislinn informed us of the whole plan. Apparently we had to find someone named Joshua and...I couldn't remember the rest of it. It didn't matter, I was just here to make sure Aislinn was safe and May would survive until we got back to the correct time in the future.

But would we ever get back? Knowing Zaul, he might just leave us here and take the kid he wanted. I tried not to think about the dangerous implications of this mission. After all, I couldn't have a contingency plan for everything.

While everyone was busy discussing a plan, I just watched from the shadows, a scowl plastered to my face. I was reasonably sure that given the circumstances, my expression wouldn't change.

"So....what now?" I ask, looking at the team. The red-haired girl...Ariella?...is sitting on the corner, scowling. I can't say I blame her. Given the circumstances....well, lets just say I've done more appealing things while working in the Academy Kitchen after porridge breakfast.

Even if I'm time-traveling, this is not cool.

Great job, Zaul. I kick a pebble. You just ruined time travel.

"I think, um....we should ask around? Figure out where and what and when we are." Aislinn tosses her hair out of her eyes again, fingering a heart-shaped necklace. Her eyes suddenly rivet on a tiny kid walking out of Urchin's Grotto. Or, where Urchin's Grotto should be.

He looks about six, with shaggy black hair and huge green eyes. His clothes are little more than rags, but then again, that's the unfortunate norm for urchins. His eyes dart furtively around the square, searching...but for what, I can't guess.

Aislinn walks slowly over to him. "Hi, bubuleh. " She whispers, kneeling down next to him. "Do you need help?" He straightens.

"No, ma'am." He looks her straight in the eye. I instantly like this kid. "I can take care of myself. I'm just looking for my sister-" He cuts himself off, running his hand through his thick hair. "Its ok." Aislie says softly. It reminds me of someone talking to a wild animal.

"My sister...I lost her." He admits. "But I'll find her. You don't need to worry about that, miss." She smiles. "Oh, I'm not worried. I'm sure you'll find her, boychick. But we'll help you, if that's okay. What's your name, honey?" The softness and sweetness of her words even puts me off guard.

"I'm Joshua Gideon Cogshine, miss. I'm nine and a half."

Aislinn's face rapidly changes from sweet and smiling to absolute horror. "No..." Her face pales starkly, and her eyes go wide, sparkling with tears. She puts a hand over her mouth. "No..."

I step back. Zaul, you snake. You worm, you blasted insect! Not this kid. Not. This. Kid.

I opened my eyes, and stared back at the face leaning over me. I felt stiff, and broken, like a shattered vase that had clumsily been put back together. "Gloria?" "Who . . . are you?'' I asked groggily."I'm Penny, I brought you back to Hospital, or what's left of it." "Thank you. And hello." I looked around, at the charred walls and creaky hospital bed. "Where's Annaliese?" I realized that she wasn't here, had she survived the bomb? "She's fine, she's back at the detainment building, looking for Zaul Grimm,'' Penny replied. "What?? She hasn't been cured yet! You left her there alone?" Penny drew back a little, biting her lip. "She insisted! I had to get you back, you were in bad shape." Glancing at the cast on my arm, I figured I had been. "Ooh, not my arm! I just got over a broken leg from that cattle stampede." Penny furrowed her brow. "I think I heard about that. But you have to rest, you have a concussion too.'' I sighed and lay back. I hated feeling useless, and Annaliese still needed my help. Determined, I sat up slowly. "I may not be able to help her fight, but I can still find her a cure,'' I told Penny. "Well, I guess as long as you don't wear yourself out . . . '' she said. I walked into the dusty lab, which hadn't been used since Jacoby left for training with Julian. I sighed, and then had an idea! I grabbed my watch, and pressed the intercom button on it. "Jacoby? Jacoby! Come in!" There was a bit of static, then . . . slurping? "Hi Glow, what's up?" "Why are you slurping?" "I'm eating a high protein shake.'' "Well don't slurp, whatever you do. Listen, Annaliese is in a detainment building looking for Zaul Grimm in the---""What? When did this happen?" "A lot happened that I don't have time to tell you right now, I just need you to stop by here and pick up a cure I'm making for her---''"A cure for what?" Although Jacoby was genuinely concerned, I was a little frustrated at him for interrupting. "A cure for her,'' I repeated. "Come here and pick it up, then give it to her---''"I'm on my way!" bzzzzzz The static returned as he clicked his intercom off. I sighed again, but this time with relief. Now help was on the way. Suddenly, I noticed something on the table that wasn't covered in dust. It was a small vile, filled with purple-ish blue liquid, and a note: Dear Annaliese, I created a cure for you, please take it right away and make sure not to get sick again. Vytanni.I smiled as I read the note. Thank you Great Engineer! Thank you Vytanni! Now I just had to wait for Jacoby to get here.

"No. No, not....this can't be him!" I desperately struggle to keep panic out of my voice. Oh, please no.... I didn't expect to find him this soon. I don't know what I expected. Certainly not this boy, this amazing little boy I already loved.

Ariella groans. "Why, Zaul, WHY! Why did we ever let you out of that hospital room..." Joshua just looks confused. I shake the tears out of my eyes. "I'm so sorry, boychick. We....I can't do this." I sigh. How on Earth am I getting out of this one?

"Wait. You look like Aisy." He's looking at me closely. "What? Aisy? I didn't tell you my name. How do you know that?" My words tumble over each other. "Because I know Aisy. She lives in that house, over there." He points down the street. I don't have to look that way to know what he's talking about.

The same Joshua Gideon Cogshine who invented the fuel pipes that Jefferson used to create his mech-suit.

The same Joshua Gideon Cogshine that worked at the Landing Gazette until he mysteriously disappeared.

Ariella recognizes him from the Wanted posters hung up on every vertical surface a few years ago. "Is that...that's him!?! That Joshua Cogshine!??!?" I nod dazedly. "That's why Zaul sent us here. He was an incredible force for truth. I heard somewhere that the Scarlet Man contacted him personally. If Zaul could get rid of him....there's no telling what that could impact." She stares. Joshua just cocks his head, looking adorably confused.

"I think this would be a good time to use that doohickey in your arm, don't you?" Emily whispers. "Oh, yeah." I clench my fist. Usually, some device would start up. But with the disrupting motivator, a whining whirr emits from the control panel. The time-traveling device, which Emmalee has been holding this entire time, starts flashing alarm signals.

I squeak and duck behind Nikko. I'm not entirely sure which theory of time-space-continuum is true, but usually seeing yourself in the past is really bad. Or the past you seeing you, or touching yourself, or something. I'm not taking any chances, since I don't particularly fancy the world exploding.

"Uhhhh....what? Do what!?" Emily hissed back. "I don't know! But something!" I peek out from my hiding place behind Nikko, who looks to be walking on a razor edge between laughing his head off and smacking something.

A moment passed before I got up to observe the area. I wanted to be sure no one would pop out to lock me up too. after walking into the next room, I saw a boy, crying in the corner."Are you Penny Sanchez?" he asked, still crying."No.... my name is..." I hesitated. Sanchez.... That is my last name! NO NO NO... "Elise Sanchez." I finished, biting my lip, and thinking that Penny might be my sister.

"Who are you?" I look at myself. My hair was short back then, and I was wearing glasses. Wow. That's what I looked like when I was seven?

"I'm, er, Aelis." Hopefully I hadn't thought up that alias yet. She raises her eyebrows. "Sure. Hi, Josh. You were looking for your sister, right?" He nods. "Stella's in the house with Emmy. You can go get her." But her eyes never leave mine. Or, my eyes....never mind.

Joshua slips into the house, looking back and forth between me and little me. As the door squeaks closed, little Aislinn stands right in front of me. "And who are your friends, Aelis?" I sigh. Ariella gives me a look. Great. She knows.

"Well...this is Nikko, and that's Ariella, and that's Emily Purplebottle, and Em." In case she hasn't quite guessed yet, I don't clue her in by Emmalee's name.

"Sure. Aelis, huh? You know, Aelis isn't a common name. In fact, no one knows what language it comes from, or what it means. It's not in name books, and the only time I've ever seen it written down is in one book. Catherine Called Birdy. Ever read it? You must have, to have known that name. I'm sure your parents wouldn't give you such an ambiguous, obscure name. Funny thing. My name, and yours, are in the same book. Or should I say our name?"